Steps For Stress Free Flying

Traveling can be a stressful event and airplane travel is tops on the
list of the stressors that we experience on what is supposed to be an exciting
and fun event.

A few simple steps can remove most of the stress of air travel.

Things to do before travel day:

1. Pack your bags

Make sure all your packing is done at least the night before and that you
have all your bags in one central location for easy and complete loading into
your car or taxi.

2. Organize you paperwork

Have all your travel paperwork organized and in one central location.

3. Make a checklist

Make a checklist of all the things you want to check to secure your home
before you leave and walk through your home checking off each item. Do this at
least an hour before you leave your house. Do this and you will never worry if
you left your stove on or any of the other little nagging worries you might have
while on your travel.

4. What about you pets?

Be sure your pets are taken care of. Make any kennel reservations well in
advance of your trip to be sure you have a reserved spot at a kennel
you trust.

5. Be informed

Call the airport and airline the day before to see how early the recommend
you should arrive for a smooth, stress free check in. Airports like Los
Angeles International (LAX) can be very busy. If they tell you to arrive
three hours early and you arrive just 30 minutes early, you will probably feel
great stresses about missing your flight. Also ask if there are any parking
restrictions you should be aware of. Ever since 9/11 there may be car searches
before you can park.

6. Check-in online

If you are just taking carry on luggage, many airlines let you pre check in
right on the internet 24 hours before your flight. That means that you can get
and print out boarding passes right from your home. And when you get to the
airport, you can go right to the gate and your boarding area without getting
into the long check in line. If you have to check baggage, you will not have
this option available to you. But if not, it is a great time and
stress saver.

Travel day:

7. Leave home early

Leave home in plenty of time to anticipate busy traffic or accident
situations. If it is an hour trip to get to the airport, you may want to leave
an extra half hour early just in case there are road problems.

8. Be prepared to wait

If you are checking in bags, be prepared to wait in line. If it is a busy
time of day at the airport and you are traveling with a popular airline from New
York – John F. Kennedy (JFK), there could be a significant line. Don't
worry about how long the line is. As long as you arrive when the airport
recommended, you will have plenty of time to make it to the front of the line
and get checked in. It may look impossible but it will happen so just relax and
be patient.

9. Double check your carry-on baggage

Make sure that any “carry on” baggage really is carry on. Otherwise you
may get stopped at the gate and have your bag taken away to be stowed with the
regular luggage. It will delay and stress you. And it will delay
everyone else.

10. Boarding the plane

When boarding the plane, find your seat and stow your carry on baggage
quickly. And then sit down and stay out of the way. There are lots of people
trying to do the same thing and we've all encountered the folks who block the
aisle for a long time fussing about something or other while a harried line of
boarders is forced to wait. You don't want to be one of those people. So just
get your business done quickly and efficiently and sit down. You'll have plenty
of time to get up once the plane is in the air.

11. Changing planes

If you have to change planes, it can be a real challenge, especially in the
larger airports. If you know the gate you will have to go to, ask the flight
attendant for advice to reach that gate quickly. In some airports – like Atlanta –
a Delta connection can be a huge adventure taking 30 minutes to get from one
gate to another. If you know in advance how you have to get to your next
airplane, it will be much less chaotic when you get off the first plane. And a
much more relaxing walk (or run) to your next gate.

12. Getting out of the plane

When the plane lands, patiently wait your turn. Whether you push or just
wait, you usually won't get off the plane any quicker. People tend to let the
folks in the rows before them get up and go in a pretty orderly fashion. Trying
to rush it will only get your blood pressure up and will not be looked upon
favorably by your fellow travelers.

13. Traveling with carry-on baggage only?

If you just have carry on baggage, you have successfully completed a pretty
stress free flight.

14. Wait for the checked baggage

But if you have checked baggage, there is one more step – waiting for the
luggage. Just pick a place around the conveyor belt and wait. Expect your bag to
be the very last one to come out and be pleasantly surprised when it comes
out early.

By following these simple steps, you will find that your stress levels from
your air travels will be much less. A well planned trip agenda ensures that
those little stress points stay little stress points and don't balloon into a
full blown crisis. Try it any you will be amazed how just a small amount of up
front planning dramatically improves the enjoyment of your travel.

WhichAirline, formerly known as FlyLowCostAirlines, searches more than 100.000 routes operated by both traditional and low cost airlines to bring you the best low cost flights available. The website helps you visualise flight duration and stopovers, and find the flights that best suit your time and budget.

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